The Short & Long-Term Impacts of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), Including Suicide Risk
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), every 9 seconds, someone in the United States sustains a brain injury. Of the 3.6 million brain injuries every year, approximately 2.8 million of those are traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), or brain injuries caused by an external force, like a fall, car accident, or assault, and at least 5.3 million Americans live with a TBI-related disability. Learn more here.
Brain injury can impact every aspect of a person—their physical, emotional, and cognitive function, and more. Health challenges of all kinds are very common in the aftermath of a brain injury. In a report to Congress, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlined the long-term health impacts of brain injury, includingmood disorders, post-traumatic epilepsy, and an increased risk for dementia. The report also shows that brain injury survivors are at a greater-than-average risk of experiencing mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and psychiatric complications after their injuries. To learn more about managing mental health challenges after brain injury, visit here.
Along with the increased risk of mental health challenges after brain injury comes an increased risk of suicide in TBI survivors. A Danish study published in 2018 and a Taiwanese study published in 2019 both indicate that TBI survivors have nearly double the risk of suicide as individuals without a history of TBI. The Danish study also found that individuals with more severe injuries, longer hospital stays, and numerous medical visits were at even higher risk. The study found that. those with longer hospital stays after sustaining a TBI were at highest risk for suicide during the first six months after leaving the hospital.
While suicide risks are often multifactorial, knowing that a history of TBI puts individuals at greater risk for suicide means that individuals can and should proactively seek support after an injury. What does proactive support look like? It includes providers who screen for brain injury and then make referrals for counseling, speech therapy and physical therapy. , It involves caregivers and family members receiving education and information around the warning signs of suicide, as well as brain injury survivors understanding their personal increased risk.
Today, there are many ways to help reduce the risk of suicide for individuals who have sustained a TBI. There are also many stories of hope in the examples of individuals who have sustained a brain injury, received treatment and gone on to live fulfilling and productive lives. Read the personal stories of KC Christensen “Play It Where It Lies”: KC Christensen and Life After Brain Injury — NH Coalition for Suicide Prevention (zerosuicidesnh.org) and Jim Scott, More Than A Speed Bump: Brain Injury, Rehabilitation and Recovery — NH Coalition for Suicide Prevention (zerosuicidesnh.org).
To learn more about Brain Injury Awareness Month, please find information about BIAA’s public awareness campaign here and visit the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire website.